Prenatal Health Care
Ultrasound
Vaccines
The CDC currently recommends that pregnant women receive a Tdap vaccine booster, which provides protection against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis( whooping cough). Discuss this and other vaccine recommendations with your health care provider.
During the second trimester, many health care providers do a glucose tolerance test( GTT) to determine whether mother has developed gestational diabetes, a condition where there is excess sugar in the blood. This involves drinking a sweetened liquid and giving a blood sample to measure blood sugar levels. High levels will require further evaluation. Gestational diabetes treatment usually involves dietary counseling, additional exercise and frequent blood sugar monitoring. In some cases, medication may be prescribed and additional testing may be done. Health care providers differ in their use of ultrasound, but many recommend an early
Group B Strep( GBS) ultrasound to confirm pregnancy dates, with an additional mid-pregnancy ultrasound
GBS is a normally-occurring bacterium found around
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twenty weeks. Additional ultrasounds in the vagina and / or rectum of ten to thirty may be recommended if risk factors develop. percent of healthy women. During the third Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves trimester, many health care providers test a to create a visual image of your baby. While swab of vaginal and rectal secretions for the considered safe, ultrasounds can increase presence of GBS. If GBS is present, they may tissue temperature and therefore should recommend antibiotics in labor to reduce the
be used when the potential benefits of the likelihood of bacteria transmission to the baby. ultrasound outweigh the risks. These are some
Other Prenatal Tests
Additional tests as needed may include:
( though not all) things that may be evaluated in an ultrasound, but keep in mind that the degree of accuracy of the results may vary:
• Baby’ s size, sex, development and wellbeing.
• Confirm single fetus or multiples.
• Location of the placenta.
• Position of the baby.
• Level of amniotic fluid.
Gestational Diabetes Screen
• Carrier testing on mother and / or partner for cystic fibrosis or other inherited disorders.
• Screening for potential genetic problems( testing maternal blood for fetal or placental hormones or proteins).
• Chorionic villus sampling( CVS).
• Amniocentesis.
• Non-stress test( NST) or stress test.
• Biophysical profile( BPP).
Partners benefit from being involved in prenatal care and having opportunities to ask questions and get to know health care provider( s). If your partner is unable to attend many prenatal appointments, be sure to discuss which visits are especially important and make plans ahead to allow participation.
8 Healthy Pregnancy